Actor Choi Won-young has returned as a villain of epic proportions.
Choi Won-young is appearing as Im Sa-hyung, a ruthless character who spares no means to satisfy his selfish desires, in the currently airing KBS 2TV weekend miniseries To My Beloved Thief (writer Lee Seon / director Ham Young-geol / produced by Studio Dragon).
In the drama, Im Sa-hyung, who enjoys power second only to the king, injects high tension into the work as a villain armed with desires that threaten even the king's life. Behind a calm smile and soft tone, Im Sa-hyung conceals greedy desires; he always bows before the king and adopts a submissive attitude, but in reality he is a character full of pure desire who moves only for his own safety. Although they are in-laws and close friends, the plot to marry Hong Eun-jo, the daughter of Hong Min-jik (played by Kim Seok-hoon), to his own father, and the dossier Im Sa-hyung had compiled by investigating the misdeeds of minister Kim Deok-han (played by Son Byung-ho) hinted at Im Sa-hyung's sinister side.
This time Choi Won-young plays the villain Im Sa-hyung, a character 180 degrees different from his previous work, showing a wide acting spectrum. He conveys Im Sa-hyung's lack of emotional display with cold looks and expresses the character with subtlety. While his exterior is calm, Im Sa-hyung's true self, busy moving for ambition, is revealed with minimal emotional acting, focusing the viewers' eyes and ears.
Especially in front of power, Im Sa-hyung's desire-filled expressions and tone, which he cannot hide even as he bows his head, show an excellent sense of balance unique to Choi Won-young's acting. Scenes such as watching the room fill with incense lit to harm Lee Gyu (played by Ha Seok-jin) and a scene in which he speaks with Hong Min-jik and, despite being hurt, shows a nonchalant expression, created a chill and marked the arrival of a villain for the ages.
Currently, earlier aired episodes captured Im Sa-hyung in crisis when Lee Yeol (played by Moon Sang Min) asks about the identity of the incense lit in Lee Gyu's room. It raises curiosity whether Im Sa-hyung's scheme rushing toward power will succeed.
Meanwhile, To My Beloved Thief is broadcast every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 p.m.
[Photo] KBS 2TV
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